Bonolo

The aim of the project is to develop a set of Web-based tools around a predefined XML-centric digital collection. These tools will provide core DRS services such as search and browse to end-users. Additional features were suggested from end-users to add value to the Bonolo end-user interface.

The framework of the system was outlined and it illustrated that each component in it contributes to making an end-user interface that is effective, beneficial and intuitive to use for the end-user.

The iterative design and implementation of the system proved beneficial. Each of the iterations utilised the evaluation results of the previous iteration and built on it. Thus aiding in the development of a system that met the end-user's needs.

Despite the Bonolo end-user interface being experimental, it is believed that with a few minor adjustments to some of the functionality, it could be implemented in reality. However, further performance testing would need to be conducted.

The results of the evaluations answered the three research questions. In answering the first question – will using a simple file hierarchy as a file store affect the overall end-user experience when using the interface? – it was found that despite the simple file store, this did not detract from the end-user experience. Users generally felt comfortable and satisfied with the way that the interface behaved and made them feel.

The second question – what is the impact of using a hierarchical file-based data store on the performance of the end-user interface? – was answered by noting that there are some performance compromises when scaling the collection size up. The tests showed that page load times remained consistent at approximately 2 seconds – thus showing that there is no negative effect on page display times. It was found that the algorithm for paginating the search results was detrimental in maintaining reasonable page load times. It is suspected that if this algorithm were improved, then page load times on the search page will become reasonable. The amount of data transferred from the server to the Web browser showed significant improvements when thumbnails were introduced. Thus reducing up to 90% of data transferred, making all of the Web pages under 2 megabytes to load.

When answering the final research question – is it possible to create an end-user interface, built on a simple file store that is comparable to other digital repository systems? – it was found that users felt that the Bonolo end-user interface was comparable to the interfaces offered by other digital repository systems. End-users felt that the feature set and usability of the system displayed this. Therefore, this suggests that it is, in fact, possible to create an end-user interface that is comparable to other digital repository systems, despite it being built on the simple file store. However, for this to be more conclusive, a more comprehensive user evaluation would have to be carried out.